


Meet Your Master

by XpaperplaneX



Series: Tentacle 'Verse [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: BDSM, Bondage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2014-06-19
Packaged: 2017-12-26 08:38:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/963887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XpaperplaneX/pseuds/XpaperplaneX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel to <i>Changes</i>. Cloud's blind date is unexpectedly panic-inducing, but maybe he can find something he needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is set some time before [_Changes_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/313085). I really tried to not have to retcon Changes, but after starting and trashing this a half-dozen times, it still needs a tiny bit of retconning. I'm sorry.

"You need to get laid," Zack stated flatly, staring at the large stack of papers that Sephiroth had set in front of him.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you think that will have some sort of bearing on your workload?"

"Of course it will; it's scientifically proven. You only ever start piling crap on me like this when you're desperate. It's been what? A few months? More?"

"I'm not telling you the last time I had sex, get out." Sephiroth shoved the papers meaningfully towards Zack.

"More, then. Let's see ... you scared off Kelly and dumped Hanson, didn't you? Why?" Zack pulled out a notepad and started flipping through it, apparently at random.

"I didn't scare Kelly, he just wasn't into the same things I'm into, and it's none of your business, anyway, Fair. Would you _please_ go do your work? I'll try to find something more interesting for you tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I already found something more interesting. So, I'm guessing Hanson was either boring in bed, or wouldn't let you have control the way you want."

"Both," Sephiroth said when it became clear that Zack wasn't going to leave without being forcibly evicted.

"Have you ever considered that you're just too picky?"

Sephiroth just glared. Maybe he was too picky, but he didn't see any reason why he should settle for someone who wasn't compatible. He didn't _need_ to have sex, so why should he have unsatisfying sex?

"All I'm saying is maybe put down the whips and chains for a while and just get laid like a normal person."

"Out. Now. Or I'll find things to add to that pile. We haven't done a materia inventory in a few years."

"Fine, kick me out when I'm trying to help. I'll see if I can find any suitable candidates for you. Because I'm nice like that. You're welcome," he added on his way out the door.

Sephiroth sighed and turned to his own paperwork. Zack would either turn up someone or forget about it in a few days. Either way, it rarely affected him much when he appointed himself Sephiroth's matchmaker.

***

The restaurant was quiet when Cloud stepped in and glanced around nervously. It was a bit late for the dinnertime rush, which was good, he supposed. If the date started to go badly, he could always get out of it by saying he needed to get to bed early.

"Good evening, for one?" The host smiled and picked up a menu.

"I'm supposed to be meeting someone ... is there an upstairs? He said ..." Cloud trailed off and glanced around, hoping to see a staircase.

"Ah, right this way." He gestured for Cloud to follow him and led the way to a spiral staircase in the corner.

The upper section of the restaurant appeared to be completely vacant until he spotted a single table in the back with a sole occupant. It was that table's occupant, however, that made Cloud start backing towards the stairs in a hurry.

"Is something wrong?" the host asked.

"No, it was a mistake, I'm sorry, I—"

"Cloud?"

Cloud came to a dead stop, not quite able to turn around to face the owner of the voice.

"You're here to meet me for dinner, right?"

"No, sir." Cloud forced himself to turn around, dreading what would happen when he did. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to salute in a situation like this or not, and his arms settled for flailing a bit. "I was supposed to meet someone, but I'm sure—"

"Did Zack not tell you who he was setting you up with?" Sephiroth didn't appear to be armed, but Cloud doubted that that fact would have any bearing on whether or not he was murdered tonight.

"Blind date, sir," Cloud choked out. "He said to go upstairs, but, I mean, it was obviously a mistake." He tried to inch back towards the safety of the stairs, but Sephiroth planted a hand on his shoulder and started pushing him towards the table.

"It wasn't a mistake," Sephiroth was saying, "though I was under the impression that you had been informed of who you were meeting. You can at least get a free meal out of this, so please calm down and try to stop panicking."

"I really don't think I can do that, sir." Cloud found himself sitting in a chair facing Sephiroth. Happily, it was the one closest to the exit, though he didn't believe it would do him any real good.

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Cloud parroted.

"Why can't you stop panicking?" Sephiroth whispered something to the waitress who was hovering nearby, and she nodded, then disappeared.

"Because you're SOLDIER First Class Sephiroth, and I'm obviously not meant to be here, so I should really go before I waste any more of your time. And I'm very, very sorry to have inconvenienced you, sir."

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "I see. You can go if you want, but you should know that I _did_ know who I was going to be meeting tonight, so my time is really only going to be wasted if you leave right away."

Cloud stared at Sephiroth's perfectly calm face for several seconds. It didn't seem like he was joking. "You knew it was going to be me?"

"Correct."

The waitress returned and uncorked a bottle of white wine, then poured two glasses, leaving the bottle in a bucket of ice by the table. "Would you like me to have the kitchen prepare your appetizers now?" she asked quietly.

Sephiroth cast an appraising glance towards Cloud. "Yes." As soon as she was gone again, Sephiroth picked up his wine glass and nodded at Cloud's. "It's a semisweet Riesling. Zack said you like sweeter things."

Cloud looked at the wine, but didn't touch it. "I'm sorry, I just—I don't understand. If you knew it was going to be me, why—"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here?" he finished quietly, staring down at his hands in his lap.

He heard Sephiroth sigh and settle back in his chair, and a foot brushed him as he crossed his legs. "Every once in a while, Zack takes it upon himself to be my matchmaker. He comes up with a list of people he thinks I might like and demands that I choose someone. I'm here because I found you intriguing and I wanted to determine if we're compatible. Are you interested in doing that?"

"Seeing if we're compatible?" It sounded like some sort of scientific process.

"Yes."

Cloud chanced a glance up; Sephiroth was looking relaxed and confident—the exact opposite of how Cloud was feeling. But there was no way Zack would have sent him into this without thinking it through. He must have believed he could handle it. "Okay."

"So you'll stay for the free meal?" Sephiroth asked with a hint of humour in his voice.

Cloud laughed slightly and nodded. "I guess so, as long as it's free. I don't think I'm on the same pay scale as you."

"The tab's on me. I took the liberty of ordering for you, is that all right?"

"Yes, that's fine." Cloud felt himself relax a little bit. He liked it when someone else was taking charge. He'd have never known what to order in a fancy place like this, and he probably would have had a heart attack upon seeing the prices. It was better not to know.

When the waitress had left again after delivering a plate of cheeses and fruit, Cloud finally braved taking a sip of his wine. He found he actually liked it, which was a bit weird; wine had never been his first choice, but it went well with the cheeses.

"I have to ask how much Zack told you about me, since he didn't think you needed to know my name."

Cloud paused in putting a bit of jelly on top of a soft cheese and blushed. "I think he didn't tell me because I probably wouldn't have come if I had known."

"Fair enough, but surely he told you something to get you interested."

"Um, well, he told me that you were a SOLDIER, and he promised that I'd like you. He didn't really say much more than that ... Zack's kind of hard to say 'no' to."

"He is." Sephiroth stared at him for several long, uncomfortable moments before he spoke again. "Did he tell you that I was specifically looking for a BDSM partner?"

His wine decided to take a sudden trip down his lungs, and Cloud began coughing helplessly. "I'm sorry," he choked out between coughs. When his coughing fit died off, a glass of water had materialized in front of him. He wasn't sure how Sephiroth had managed that without him noticing, but he took several sips. "Thank you."

"I'm guessing that Zack either didn't mention it at all, or that you simply weren't expecting me to bring it up."

"He mentioned, I guess I just didn't think—it's not really—" Not something that one would talk about it public, in Cloud's opinion.

Sephiroth nodded his understanding. "As long as it's not a complete surprise. There's no one around, and I want this out in the open now. I've wasted far too much time on people in the past. I'm looking for a submissive partner. What that means exactly can be worked out between us, but if it's not something you can do, we'll have our meal and that will be the end of it."

Cloud nodded slowly, taking another sip of his water. Sephiroth seemed deadly serious—more so than Zack's comment about how his blind date sometimes liked to tie up his partners and order them around seemed to imply. "I've never actually—with the BDSM," he whispered the acronym like he half expected his mother to jump out of the shadows. "I mean, I'm not a virgin, but—are you looking for someone with ... experience?"

"Not necessarily." Sephiroth looked like he was going to say more, but broke off when the waitress arrived carrying two plates. She set one down in front of Cloud; the dish on it was something Cloud had never seen before. It looked a bit like stew, and it smelled good, at least.

"What is it?" he asked when the waitress had left.

"Do you need to know?"

He shrugged and picked up his fork. "I guess not."

"It's easier to eat with a spoon," was Sephiroth's only comment.

Cloud swapped his fork for a spoon and took a bite, mixing the stew with the rice that was on the side. "I like it," he said, nodding happily. It had a little bit of a bite to it, but not enough to make his nose run or anything embarrassing like that.

"Good. As I was saying, I don't mind if you're not experienced, as long as you're willing to experiment and step outside of your normal comfort boundaries. Perhaps being willing to try something without knowing what it is is a good sign."

"Was that a test?" Cloud asked, horrified.

"You could think of it like that, if you want. I've never had a first date with someone who didn't get upset that I ordered for them."

"I ... kind of liked that you ordered for me. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. I noticed that you relaxed a little bit when I told you. Do you normally prefer it when someone else is in control of the situation?"

Cloud found himself nodding until a thought suddenly occurred to him. "I don't mean that I can't—I do fine when I'm squad leader, really. I just—stuff like this—"

Sephiroth was smiling slightly, though he didn't seem to be laughing. "I think we might get along, Cloud."

***

Sephiroth placed his hand on the small of Cloud's back as he ushered him out onto the street. He hadn't expected much from the date; Cloud's rank had put him off, and knowing that Zack considered him a good friend was another red flag. Zack's friends were often people Sephiroth had to force himself to be around. But Cloud, though shy and rather nervous, had been an unexpected pleasure to be with. While he still had his doubts about how long it might last, he was definitely willing to try pursuing a relationship.

"Do you have to be back by a particular time?" Sephiroth asked, unsure if Cloud had regulations he needed to follow or an early morning drill.

"No," Cloud said hesitantly, "but ... I don't ... I'm not really comfortable with ... oh, but you want me to do things that I'm not comfortable with, don't you?"

"That depends on the things," Sephiroth said with a frown. "All right, two things. First, to get it out of the way, I'm not asking because I want to sleep with you tonight. I wanted to know if you'd like me to take you back to Shinra right away, or if you'd like to take a walk with me."

"Oh!" Cloud blushed a deep crimson. "Yes, I'd like that. The walk, that is. I'm sorry for assuming. I'm an idiot."

"Great, now we're up to three things." Sephiroth sighed exaggeratedly and turned down Loveless Boulevard. The streets were quiet, lit only by the faint glow from the mako reactors, and he slowed his pace to match Cloud's shorter steps. "The second thing is that when I said that I'd like you to be willing to step outside your comfort boundaries, I didn't mean that I didn't want to know if you're uncomfortable with something. It's quite the opposite, in fact. If this is going to work, I _need_ you to tell me if you're not okay or feeling nervous."

"But isn't that not what you want? I mean, you want me to do as you tell me, right?"

"Would you be okay with that? Supposing I did want to have sex with you tonight, would you be okay if I just told you to let me?"

Cloud stopped in his tracks and turned his head slowly to look up at him. "No."

"And that's why I want you to tell me if you're not comfortable. I want anything that happens between us to be consensual, understood?"

"Understood, I think." Cloud started walking again, a bit more slowly, but his hand brushed against Sephiroth's, and he squeezed slightly when Sephiroth twined their fingers together. "So, you're saying that you want to be in control, but I can say no?"

"Exactly. Don't worry, it makes a bit more sense in practice. In my experience, there are hard lines, and there are fuzzy lines. A hard line might be, for example, bloodplay."

"Blood!?"

"Just an example. It holds no appeal for me; I see enough blood as a SOLDIER. If it did, however, and I brought it up, I would find it entirely reasonable for you to say that you absolutely do not want to engage in bloodplay. And I would respect that. A fuzzy line might be something like bondage. If you're not completely against being tied up, but still feel nervous about it, you could tell me, and I would take steps to make it less frightening for you."

"Like what? Because, well, I've never been tied up before, so I don't know if I'd like it."

"Okay," Sephiroth said with a smile, "let's talk about it, then. Want a drink?" He gestured to the vending machine that was set up beside a shop.

"Sure, thank you."

Sephiroth bought a melon soda for Cloud and an iced tea for himself, then found a bench where they could sit and continue their discussion.

"I like to establish rules as a first step," he said once they had made themselves comfortable. "I won't ever leave you alone if you're unable to free yourself. I will always have a way of freeing you quickly in case of emergency. I usually keep a knife nearby, but I'll also use quick release knots on occasion that can be undone by pulling on one end of the rope. Anything locking, like handcuffs, will have an emergency release. I'll also make sure that your physical needs are met. That means things like making sure your circulation isn't cut off and that you don't cramp up, giving you water and bathroom breaks, and keeping the temperature comfortable."

Cloud sipped on his soda and nodded with a thoughtful frown on his face. "That sounds reasonable. So it's like, a whole body sort of thing? I wouldn't be able to move at all?"

"Not necessarily, and definitely not at first. We'd start small, by tying your wrists together, for instance. Or perhaps to the bed frame if you're comfortable with it. You don't need to dive straight into the deep end."

"Yeah, I think I'd be okay with that."

Sephiroth felt a slight lurching in his stomach when Cloud looked up at him and smiled. Zack had certainly learned his preferred type, but it had seemed impossible to find someone who was appealing to him and also willing to indulge him.

"What was the third thing?" Cloud asked.

"Hmm?" Sephiroth gave himself a shake and tore his gaze away from Cloud's perfect lips. "Oh, that's right. You're not an idiot."

"What?"

"You're not an idiot," Sephiroth said again. "You made a logical assumption. One that anyone who isn't telepathic might make, and you spoke up to say that it wasn't what you wanted to do. Sort of."

Cloud grinned and blushed again. "I'll try to be more eloquent next time."

"Good job, because there probably will be a next time, so make sure I know." Sephiroth reached down and gripped Cloud's hand.

"I will," Cloud said quietly as he squeezed back. "Thanks for explaining all that to me."

"Should we head back? It's getting pretty late."

Cloud nodded and stood up, though he didn't let go of Sephiroth's hand. "Yeah, I guess. I've got to be at the range at nine."

"Mmm, late start. Appreciate those now. You'll never get them in SOLDIER."

"No way!" Cloud shouted, laughing. "Zack says he sleeps in all the time!"

"Yes, I spend more time writing him up than I do going on missions."

Cloud chatted about his schedule for the next day as they made their way back to the Shinra compound. He seemed to have relaxed significantly since they left the restaurant, and Sephiroth was glad that they had had the opportunity to discuss some terms. He imagined that Cloud probably had some pretty creative ideas about what Sephiroth was asking for. But Cloud definitely hadn't seemed comfortable talking about it in the restaurant, despite there only being a few staff members who might have overheard. He made a mental note to only discuss the finer details in private in the future.

He came to a stop a short distance from the entrance to the regular army barracks and kept Cloud out of sight of the cameras he knew about.

"I'd like to get together with you again," he said, trailing his fingers over a long spike of hair.

"I—I'd like that, too."

Sephiroth could hear Cloud's heartbeat speed up in the silence of the night and grinned. "You've got a Shinra issue PHS, right?"

"Yeah, do you want the number?"

"Your file will have it. How does Saturday work for you? I'm afraid I can't arrange things like the restaurant very often, but would you be willing to come to my place? You don't have to do anything you're not ready for."

"Saturday's good, and I'd be willing."

"Good, I'll call you tomorrow to work out the details." Sephiroth leaned down and tipped Cloud's chin up with his finger, pressing his lips gently to Cloud's. Cloud seemed happy to let him decide how far to take it, neither pulling away nor asking for more, though he did rise up onto his toes and reached out to touch his shoulder.

He had to fight with himself to keep from pushing it further; Cloud's lips were everything he had imagined them to be, and he wanted to taste him fully. But he pulled away after a couple minutes with no small amount of yearning.

"Good night, Cloud. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Good night," Cloud whispered. "Thank you for dinner."

Sephiroth watched until Cloud was safely indoors, then adjusted his pants and set a course for his apartment. Zack would want to know how it had gone, and Sephiroth was willing to bet that he'd even be in on time to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud's mind wandered as he struggled to finish his reps. The weights seemed far heavier than they should have, and he gave a loud grunt as he wrestled the barbell back into its stand.

"Nice work, kid." Zack's face appeared above him as he lay on the bench gasping for air. "You going to spend your whole Saturday working out all by yourself or do you want to come over to my place for video games?"

"I'm not talking to you, and you should know I'm busy," Cloud snapped. He hadn't seen Zack since before his date with Sephiroth, but he still wasn't impressed with him.

Zack blinked at him with his puppy dog eyes. "What? I mean, yeah, I know you're busy tonight, but why aren't you talking to me?"

"Why not? I'll tell you why not! The 'blind date' you sent me on," he hissed, putting every ounce of venom he could muster into his voice. "I had a fucking heart attack. Right there, in the middle of the restaurant. I almost cried, Zack. You set me up with _Sephiroth_ , and you didn't think I deserved some advance fucking warning?"

Zack held up his hands in surrender and blinked at him a few more times. "So ... are you mad that I set you up?"

"No, I'm mad—"

"'Cause the way I see it, you never would have gone if I had told you who it was with. So really, I did you a favour."

"Giving your so-called friend a panic attack _isn't_ a favour."

"Are you sure? Sephiroth was what I'd call ecstatic the next day, after he chewed me out, that is. I'm still doing all his paperwork, so I assume he didn't get laid, but he was happy. And now you've got a second date. C'mon, you know you don't want to stay mad at me. Come hang out with me and I'll let you use my very own private bathroom to get ready for your big second date."

Cloud stood up, glaring. "I hate that you can bribe me with a bathroom."

" _And_ games. I've got Land of the Living Dead 3." Zack's grin stretched across his face, and Cloud grudgingly allowed himself a smile. He wasn't _that_ mad at Zack; it was hard to be when he knew he was right.

"He chewed you out?"

"Yeah, I thought I was getting stationed up north with the way he was going on about it."

***

After an afternoon of killing zombies, then taking far too long in the shower, according to Zack, Cloud pressed the button for the forty-seventh floor of Shinra Tower. The elevator moved far too fast; he barely had any time to compose his thoughts before the creepy, sterile female voice announced his arrival. Finding apartment 4702 wasn't difficult; it seemed like there were only a few apartments on the floor. He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock.

Sephiroth had a half smile gracing his lips when he opened the door. It was like he was trying to stop himself from looking happy, but failing. He was dressed in jeans and a white shirt, and his feet were bare. Cloud had never seen him with his hair pulled back in a ponytail before, but he quite liked the look.

"Good to see you, Cloud. Come in."

"Hello," Cloud smiled as Sephiroth ushered him inside, lightly placing his hand on his back. "Something smells good."

"It does, doesn't it? I'm not much of a cook, but there's a market in sector seven that sells freshly made foods that you can just stick in the oven. I got us a lasagna."

Cloud laughed, "I thought I wasn't allowed to know things like that."

"I'm sure I can come up with some other way to keep you on your toes," Sephiroth said. "After all, you'll get used to it if I keep doing the same things. Anyway, come in, make yourself comfortable. Do you want a drink?"

"Um, yes, please." He looked around Sephiroth's beautifully decorated living room and wondered where he could sit and ruin the least amount of things. The furniture all looked too nice to actually sit on. He could see a table with wooden chairs a bit beyond the open kitchen, but didn't think that moving to a different area of the apartment was appropriate.

"Beer okay?" Sephiroth appeared next to him and held out a glass filled with a deep red beer.

"Yes, thank you." At least he hadn't had to decide what to drink.

"The lasagna will be another fifteen minutes." Sephiroth gave him a strange look, then spoke again in a commanding tone. "Set the table. Utensils are in the drawer next to the stove. Plates are in the cupboard above it."

"Yes, sir." Cloud headed directly for the kitchen, set down his beer, and began searching for the things he needed. Two placemats were already on the table, so he laid out the settings on them neatly, making sure the blades of the knives were turned in and everything was straight.

"Good," Sephiroth said quietly when he finished. "Sit down on the far side."

Cloud sat where he was told, and Sephiroth set his beer down in front of him before taking a seat himself.

"Technically," Sephiroth said, taking a sip of his own beer, "I have no authority over you. You're regular army, and SOLDIER is a completely separate division. Outside of mission parameters, SOLDIERs cannot issue orders to a member of the regular army. That being said, not many people actually care about those divisions, and I am seen as an authority figure among both SOLDIERs and the regulars. Do you agree with that assessment?"

Cloud thought quickly, wondering where this conversation was going and hoping that Sephiroth hadn't decided that he didn't want to do this. "Yes," he said hesitantly.

"You are not here as my subordinate, and as such, I would prefer that you not call me 'sir' when we're together."

"I'm sorry, it just slipped out." Cloud felt a sudden wrenching in his chest; he didn't want to disappoint Sephiroth. Especially not when they had only just met.

"I'm not angry with you, Cloud. I simply wanted to let you know that I'm uncomfortable with the term in this situation. It makes me feel like I'm taking advantage of my perceived authority, and I hope that's not the case."

"No." Cloud shook his head. "You're not. I won't call you that again." He took a couple sips of his beer, feeling awkward and embarrassed until the timer on the oven beeped, bringing a respite from the uncomfortable silence that had fallen.

"So how was your day?" Sephiroth asked as he got up. "Did you do anything fun?"

"I went to the gym in the morning, then Zack found me and dragged me back to his place. He's got that new zombie game."

"Oh, yes, he was saying something about that yesterday. It sounded disgusting."

Cloud laughed, "Yeah, the graphics are amazing; it's the grossest game I've ever played."

"Is that a good thing?" Sephiroth seemed a bit sceptical as he doled out two big portions of steaming lasagna.

"Sure! Do you play any games?"

"Zack has forced me to play a few."

"Any you liked?"

Talking about the very short list of games that Sephiroth declared tolerable and complaining about Zack carried the conversation through dinner. Once they'd finished their food, silence fell again, though more comfortable than before.

"Do you play cards?" Sephiroth asked as he got up to clear the dishes.

"Yeah, sometimes."

Sephiroth tossed a deck of cards to Cloud, then went back to rinsing the plates. "Shuffle. Five card draw. Do you want to bet toothpicks, money, or clothes?"

Cloud's eyes went wide. Did Sephiroth just ask him if he wanted to play strip poker? He wondered if it was Sephiroth's way of asking him if he wanted to have sex tonight. "Clothes," he said with determination. "Can I put my shoes back on?"

Sephiroth laughed, "Zack said you'd surprise me. No shoes inside, but I'll lend you a few things to buff up your reserves."

A short while later, Cloud was wearing one of Sephiroth's sweaters and had a long black silk scarf wrapped around his neck. The gloves Sephiroth had given him made it too hard to actually use the cards while he was wearing them, but Sephiroth said he could bet with them anyway. 

"That sweater looks good on you," Sephiroth commented as he dealt. "Ante up."

Cloud placed his chit for one of the gloves, worth one point, into the middle of the table, then took a look at his cards. "Check."

The game began slowly; Cloud didn't want to take too many risks right off the bat, but when Sephiroth peeled off his gloves deliberately slowly to hand over at the end of a round, he started feeling a little more aggressive. It didn't take long after that to be down to his pants and underwear with Sephiroth's scarf draped over his shoulders. Sephiroth seemed to have something against betting items that he had won from Cloud, preferring to keep them in a stack on his side of the table. They had agreed that they weren't allowed to wear items that they hadn't started with, so that meant that he either had to give Sephiroth back his clothes, or keep stripping down at a much faster rate than Sephiroth.

"Dealer takes one," Cloud said and held his breath. He just needed ... jack, okay, he had it, now to not let it show. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing, in his opinion, to lose this hand. Sephiroth's bare chest was making his pants seem a bit unnecessary.

"I bid my pants and ... your gloves." Sephiroth tossed three pieces of paper into the pot.

"All in." Cloud shoved his pile of chits to the centre recklessly.

"All in?" Sephiroth raised his eyebrows. "All right, let's see." He flipped through the chits and did some mental math, then tossed in what Cloud assumed was enough to equal the points he had put in. "Let's see what you've got."

"Full house," Cloud said, spreading the cards out in front of him, "jacks over kings."

Sephiroth pursed his lips and nodded, and Cloud felt a sudden surge of elation. Had he won?

"Nice hand, unfortunately ..." Sephiroth lay down his cards; four queens stared up at him.

"Well, shit."

Sephiroth began pulling the chits and the clothing over to his side of the table. "Do I get a strip show, or would you rather get undressed in the other room?"

"I'm not giving you a show," Cloud said, defiant in his defeat, "but I'm not running away, either." Before his nerves could get the better of him, he quickly pulled off his pants and boxer briefs in one fell swoop, then tossed the scarf to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth laughed as he caught the scarf, draping it over the back of his chair. "I'm impressed with you, Cloud. I was certain you wouldn't go through with it. Want to keep playing? You can bet kisses."

Cloud blushed as he felt Sephiroth's eyes travelling up and down his body, and didn't miss the seductive tone that he had used to offer up a new option in currency. He had a niggling suspicion that this game wasn't going to last much longer. "All right," he said as casually as he could muster, then sat down and pushed his cards over to Sephiroth. "Pecks are worth one point, proper kisses are two, and tongue is five." He quickly wrote a few on the extra scraps of paper, then tossed a peck into the pot as his ante.

"Fair enough." Sephiroth smiled as he dealt out the next hand.

***

"You make me bad at poker," Cloud mumbled, pulling away from Sephiroth and forcing himself to believe that he had kissed him for long enough, despite what his body was telling him.

"Do I?"

"Yes, and you don't keep your hands to yourself when I'm paying my debts, which makes me even worse." Concentrating was nearly impossible with the thought that Sephiroth's hands would be on him again if he lost. The only thing he had managed to win back was the stupid scarf, which he adjusted again when he sat down, though he couldn't keep it from forming a tent, draped as it was over his lap.

"Last hand?"

Cloud thought for a moment, then nodded, grinning. "Last hand, but I'm making a secret bet. You can't see it unless you win."

Sephiroth stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Had he gone too far?

"I'm sorry, that's not very submiss—"

"Don't." Sephiroth smiled and began shuffling. "I was just trying to think of what you might bet; my brain went to some intriguing places. You're doing just fine, Cloud. I've been having fun."

Cloud smiled again. "Me too." He grabbed one last blank piece of paper and wrote down his bet while hiding it from Sephiroth's eyes. "There," he said, folding it in half and tossing it between them, "that's my only bet for this hand. It's worth twenty."

"Okay," Sephiroth counted out twenty points worth of clothing, and Cloud noted that if he won, Sephiroth would be losing quite a lot of what he was wearing. It seemed like they were both getting a bit impatient. He dealt out the cards and neither of them spent very long considering their hands before exchanging their cards. Cloud was kind of hoping he would lose, anyway.

"I've got a pair of tens and a queen kicker," he said.

"Two pair, fours and threes." Sephiroth's smile was triumphant. "So what was your bet?"

Cloud blushed and pushed the paper closer until Sephiroth took it and unfolded it. His eyebrows shot up, then he stood and stripped off the remains of his clothing, tossing it aside. Cloud bit his lip in anticipation when he saw that Sephiroth's cock was hard and the tip had fluid gathering on it. He had been wondering if Sephiroth had been affected at all by their game or if he was the only one with a hard-on.

"Will you sit down again?" he asked, slowly getting to his feet. "I don't know if I can reach if you're standing."

Sephiroth sat, then gestured him closer. He dragged the scarf from around Cloud's neck as soon as he was close enough and twisted it through his fingers. "What would you think about not being able to use your hands?"

"I—I've never done it without," Cloud stammered, "but I can try."

"Turn around." Sephiroth twisted the scarf around his arms so they were firmly secured behind his back. "Good boy. Not too tight?"

"No, it's fine." Cloud felt himself trembling a little bit, but he was more excited than nervous.

"If you want me to untie it, just say so."

"I will."

Sephiroth turned him around again, then helped him balance while he sunk to his knees. Cloud shuffled forwards, then planted several sloppy, lingering kisses on Sephiroth's thighs, darting his tongue out to lick the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. He heard Sephiroth inhale deeply and he spread his legs slightly to give Cloud more room to work. 

Cloud continued to lick while moving slowly up Sephiroth's legs. He ignored Sephiroth's very tempting erection in favour of his balls, attempting to suck them into his mouth.

"This is hard with no hands," he muttered, feeling slightly miffed that his usual techniques weren't working the way he had hoped. He certainly didn't want to bite, but he couldn't lift Sephiroth's ball sac to actually get it into his mouth without his hands.

"I understand, don't worry. There's no such thing as a bad blowjob." Sephiroth traced his fingers through his hair, then reached down and lifted his balls up. "Better?"

"Better." Cloud looked up and grinned widely before lowering his head again, sucking the hot sac into his mouth and rolling it around on his tongue. He noticed himself straining to use his hands, but he found that he liked the way having them tied behind him made him feel. He let Sephiroth's balls slip out of his mouth and took a moment to rest his jaw while kissing the base of the hard cock in front of him, pressing his nose into the soft silver hair that adorned it.

Moving a bit closer, Cloud darted out his tongue to lick the head of Sephiroth's erection, tasting the bitter fluid that gathered at the tip. When he slid his lips over the tip, Sephiroth's hand returned to his hair, and Cloud took a deep breath, bracing himself. Except Sephiroth didn't actually push, he was just touching his head and twisting his fingers through his hair. 

"That's good, Cloud," Sephiroth said quietly, still not putting any pressure on him.

Encouraged, Cloud sucked on the tip, using his tongue to twist around it, then sank down, taking as much of the hard flesh into his mouth as was comfortable. Sephiroth kept his hand where it was, but didn't stop him from moving back up and returning his attention to the head. He would have normally used his hands to provide more stimulation, but alternating between sucking on the tip, licking up and down the length, and taking the whole of it in seemed to work well.

It didn't seem like it took very long before Sephiroth was breathing heavily and kneading his fingers into Cloud's shoulders.

"Soon." Sephiroth's voice was strained, and Cloud hummed in acknowledgement.

He sank down again, using his tongue as much as possible, and swallowed several times until Sephiroth grunted and the cock in his mouth twitched. Cloud swallowed as much as he could until he let Sephiroth's cock slip from between his lips when it began to soften.

"Good," Sephiroth whispered while Cloud kissed his softened cocked gently. He traced his fingers down the side of Cloud's face, then tipped his chin up. Cloud blushed and tried to turn away; he knew there was come on his face, he had felt it dribbling down his chin. "Don't look away," Sephiroth said, holding his chin firmly.

"I'm all ..." Cloud faltered and fell silent.

"I know. You look good. Stand up."

He struggled to his feet, suddenly feeling horribly awkward and exposed until Sephiroth stood as well, pulling him close and squeezing tightly.

"Are you all right?"

Cloud pressed himself a bit closer and nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I just—people looking at me makes me kind of nervous."

"Do you want me to untie your arms?"

Cloud thought for a moment. "No ... not necessarily."

Sephiroth squeezed the tips of his fingers and kissed his forehead. "Do you want to move into the bedroom where there's at least a sheet to cover you if you're feeling exposed?"

Cloud felt himself grin and squeezed Sephiroth's hand back as best he could. "I'd like that."

Sephiroth began walking backwards, pulling Cloud with him. Cloud didn't pay too much attention to where they were going; Sephiroth had his lips on him again and he decided it didn't really matter where they ended up. After quite a lot of stumbling, he was turned around and nudged towards a large bed.

Cloud shuffled on his knees towards the middle of the bed, then glanced back. "How do you ..." He suddenly felt himself flush; he was _not_ going to phrase anything that way.

"How do I want you?" Sephiroth smirked and crawled up next to him, moving his long limbs so smoothly it was like he was gliding through water. "Here." He tilted Cloud forwards, holding up his weight like it was nothing, until he was resting on his shoulders and knees with his ass in the air. "Is that too uncomfortable?"

"No," Cloud said meekly. He shifted a little bit, taking some of the pressure off his neck. "Didn't you say there was a sheet?"

"Do you need it?" Sephiroth's hands ghosted over his body, brushing down the curve of his ass and between his legs.

"Maybe not," he whimpered. Sephiroth wouldn't be able to touch him like that if he was covered.

Sephiroth leaned in close to his head, his hair trailing over his back, and whispered in his ear, "I promise I can keep you distracted so you're not thinking about being exposed." One arm wrapped around his torso and Cloud yelped when his nipple was suddenly pinched. His yelp turned into a moan as Sephiroth continued rub and pinch it.

"'M distracted," he mumbled, trying to muffle the noises he was making with the blankets.

"I want you to tell me when your neck starts to hurt." Sephiroth was still whispering in his ear, but his tone was far less seductive. He really meant it.

"Yes," Cloud bit back the 'sir'. "I will."

"Good boy. Tell me when you're going to come."

***

"I'm—I'm—" Cloud gasped. He pushed himself back on the fingers that were inside him, hoping they would brush against his prostate just a couple more times.

Sephiroth immediately stopped touching him and sat back, causing Cloud to bite back a scream of frustration.

"I'm just not going to tell you next time," Cloud snapped. He was being good and doing as he was told and this was the reward he got?

"You could do that," Sephiroth said calmly, stretching out next to him, "though I can tell when you're close now."

"Are—are you ever going to let me?"

"Yes, and soon. But if you need me to stop teasing you now, you can say so."

"I—" Cloud faltered again. "It's really frustrating."

"I know." Sephiroth brushed some hair out of Cloud's eyes. "I promise I'll let you come, and that it will feel extremely good when you do."

"Soon?"

"Soon," Sephiroth said reassuringly.

"My neck's getting kind of sore."

Before Cloud even fully realized what was happening, his arms had been untied and he was flipped over onto his back. Sephiroth gently kneaded the sides of his neck, helping the muscles relax.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I just said 'kind of'," Cloud muttered feeling rather indignant at the way Sephiroth had been able to flip him without any effort. "It wasn't an emergency."

"Good." Sephiroth leaned down and kissed him while Cloud wondered what he was supposed to do with his hands now. It suddenly felt strange to have them free and able to do what he wanted.

"Feels weird now, being untied," he said when Sephiroth pulled away from the kiss. "I don't know what to do with my hands. Is it okay to touch you?"

"It is, but is it all right if I tie them again?"

"To the bedframe?" Cloud asked hopefully. He had been fantasizing about that ever since Sephiroth mentioned it.

Sephiroth laughed and swung one leg over his chest, straddling him. "If you'd like."

Cloud lifted his arms above his head and grinned. "Yes, please."

Sephiroth grabbed the scarf again, then leaned forward to tie an end to one of his wrists. The position had his groin right over Cloud's face, so he craned his neck up and licked. Sephiroth jerked in surprise and nearly dropped his hand, but gave a soft moan and leaned in a bit closer.

"I'm not giving you another blowjob," Cloud said while he licked up the length of Sephiroth's cock.

"Can I fuck you instead?" Sephiroth tied the scarf quickly, though Cloud noticed that he took the time to fit a finger between the scarf and his wrists, making sure it wasn't too tight.

"Isn't that what you were stretching me for?" Cloud asked, then caught the tip of Sephiroth's cock and sucked it into his mouth.

"Not if you don't want to." Sephiroth moaned, reaching down to lift Cloud's head so he could take more in. "It's just your ass is perfect. I liked playing with it."

Cloud swallowed around the hard flesh a couple times, then pushed his head back, still feeling slightly surprised when Sephiroth just let his head back down. "Oh, I thought ... well, then, yes." He tugged on the scarf, testing the tightness. Sephiroth's knots were good; he'd have a difficult time getting out on his own.

"Arms all right?" Sephiroth asked while he shifted his body down until he was kneeling between Cloud's legs.

"Yeah, it's, I dunno, exciting? Maybe? I ... I think I like it when I'm tied up."

"Good to know." Sephiroth leaned down and kissed him before he began to attack Cloud's neck and chest with his mouth. He traced a slow, lazy circle around Cloud's nipple with his tongue while staring up at him. "Did I stretch you enough?"

"Stretch? Oh, yeah." Understanding dawned on him a little too late to avoid any dumb blonde stereotypes. "If you use a bit more lube ... on yourself, it'll be good."

"Okay." The weight disappeared off his chest as Sephiroth sat back and retrieved the lube he had been using from somewhere near the foot of the bed.

Cloud bent his knees, spreading his legs wide, nearly trembling in anticipation. Any second now, Sephiroth was going to— "Fuck, that feels good," he moaned. Sephiroth pushed in slowly, letting Cloud feel every inch of his cock as it slid into him. When he was fully seated, Sephiroth didn't move, but ran his hands over Cloud's chest and twisted his nipples instead.

"You like that inside you?"

"Yes," Cloud whimpered, arching his back into Sephiroth's touch. "Please ..."

"Please what?" Sephiroth smirked at him while Cloud blushed, unable to bring himself to say what he wanted. "I'm not going to move until you tell me. What do you want?"

"I can't ..." Cloud felt himself blushing even more.

"Why not?" Sephiroth's tone took on a more soothing aspect, and he ran his hands gently over Cloud's chest and thighs. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I—"

"It's okay." Sephiroth suddenly leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Do you want me to fuck you?"

The moment Cloud nodded, Sephiroth moved his hips back, then snapped them forwards with enough force to cause Cloud to grunt in surprise.

"Okay?" Sephiroth asked, slowing his thrusts minutely.

"Yes." Cloud nodded with renewed enthusiasm, slamming his hips up to meet Sephiroth's. A small part of him was aware that he was yanking on his bonds hard enough to bruise, but he found that he didn't really care. His body was fighting to be able to reach out and touch the man pounding into him, but his mind loved the fact that he couldn't. 

Sephiroth reached down and grabbed one of Cloud's legs, hooking it over his shoulder without missing a beat. The new position changed his angle just enough that his next thrust rammed into Cloud's prostate, forcing a strangled scream out that he quickly tried to muffle.

"It's good," he breathlessly attempted to reassure Sephiroth. "I—fuck—yes, more." Cloud knew he was probably completely incoherent. He had the familiar pressure building at the base of his spine that he usually didn't even come close to feeling without someone touching his cock.

Sephiroth tightened his grip on Cloud's leg, then reached down with his free hand, grasping his cock firmly. He stroked hard and fast to match the pace he was setting, and Cloud heard himself screaming again as his body shuddered and writhed as the sensations overwhelmed him. He went limp, unable to even attempt to keep meeting Sephiroth's thrusts. His leg was dropped and he felt it bounce on the mattress, then Sephiroth was leaning in close. Hot breath was tickling his ear, then teeth clamped down on his neck and Sephiroth pounded into him even harder.

Focussing was impossible. Sephiroth was no longer hitting his prostate directly, but the aftermath of his orgasm left him oversensitized and unable to do much except grit his teeth until the thrusting finally slowed.

Sephiroth's weight collapsed on top of him for a moment, then he pushed up, withdrawing himself from Cloud with a painful slowness. Cloud blinked to bring his eyes back into focus; it looked like Sephiroth was about to collapse again, but instead he reached up and began fiddling with the scarf that bound Cloud's hands. Moments later they were free, and Cloud rubbed at the red marks.

"That's going to bruise," Sephiroth said with a frown, taking one of Cloud's hands into his own.

"It's fine," Cloud said, still feeling rather breathless. "Doesn't hurt. I—you really meant it when you said it would feel extremely good."

Sephiroth grunted in acknowledgement. He seemed to be checking Cloud over for injuries; his neck got a frown where Sephiroth had bitten him. Cloud yelped and slammed his legs together when Sephiroth attempted to spread them for an apparent inspection.

"I'm fine! You didn't hurt me!"

"Are you sure? It's been a long time since I've been with someone who's unenhanced. I should have been more gentle."

Cloud rolled his eyes while keeping his legs firmly shut. "I'm not that breakable."

"All right," Sephiroth agreed, then pulled a sheet over their waists. "I'll cure those bruises, though, and the bite."

Cloud frowned; he didn't mind being bruised. He was thoroughly fucked and he didn't care if the world knew it. Then again, he didn't really want to have to _explain_ how he got the bruises. And Sephiroth did look worried. "Okay," he said quietly, "but can you wait until I've had a chance to be a bit sore for a while? It's a nice feeling."

"Sure." Sephiroth pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. "Stay here for a while."

***

Cloud lay sprawled, taking up the entire couch in the lounge. His coffee was gone, but he couldn't find the energy to get up for another cup. An old cartoon that he had loved as a kid was playing on the TV, and half of his mind focussed on it, while the other half was occupied with reassuring himself that he really had had sex with Sephiroth the previous night.

"You look like someone who just got laid."

Cloud glanced up at the voice. "Hey, Zack."

"Hey, Zack? That's what I get? You're lying on the couch looking like breathing is an effort while grinning from ear to ear and I get a 'Hey, Zack'?"

"Yup." Cloud grinned even wider. "On the bright side, you might notice a reduction in your paperwork tomorrow."

"Seriously? You had sex with him? I love you, man." Zack flew at Cloud and caught him up in a strangling hug.

"Ow! Off! Sore!" Cloud yelled, whacking Zack's back. "It wasn't for your benefit, though I'm beginning to doubt your motivations for setting me up with him."

"Nah, man, you know I only want to see you happy. You don't actually think that's why, do you?"

Cloud laughed at the panicked look on Zack's face. "No, I don't, and you're forgiven for the whole not telling me thing. But in a show of appreciation for my ass's efforts towards making him do his own work, you could get me another cup of coffee."

Zack snatched up the empty mug. "Too sore for moving?"

"He cured me. My muscles are just a little overworked and I'm tired."

"You needed a cure? What did he do to you?"

"Don't drop my mug! It's my favourite! He gave me the best sex I've ever had, so just go get my coffee." Cloud reached back and fluffed his pillow, then resettled himself on the couch after glancing at his PHS. Sephiroth had promised to call to arrange another date. He couldn't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don't actually know how to play 5 card draw, but Gongaga hold'em sounded really stupid. I declare anything wrong with the way they're playing to be house rules.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, since October, eh? I feel this disappearing for extended periods of time thing is getting to be a habit. I hope everyone is well. This is the final part of Meet Your Master, which is followed shortly by the events of Changes. Speaking of which, Changes will be changed at some point in the future to fit better with this (which is why you should write things in order, kids), so if you like it the way it is, toss that sucker into Word now or forever hold your peace. Or download with the magic of AO3.

Sephiroth secured the last strap that would keep Cloud's legs bent and sat back, admiring how the thin black rope looked twisted and knotted around Cloud's pale torso and arms. "There. Comfortable?" It was the first time he had tried any Wutain-style bondage with Cloud, and though he wasn't actually restrained any more than usual, it was still a step up from what he was used to.

Cloud gave himself a small shake and opened his eyes, blinking calmly. "Yeah, it's nice."

"Good. Close your eyes again." Sephiroth pinched the tips of Cloud's fingers and toes, checking his blood flow, then reached over to the small table where he had laid out the toys he wanted to use and pulled away the cloth that had been covering them. He picked up a long strip of fabric. "Lift your head up."

Cloud obediently lifted his head off the pillow, and Sephiroth quickly placed the fabric over his eyes, tying it in back.

"Good. You can just relax now." He turned and selected a small egg-shaped vibrator off the table and flicked it on. When he turned back, however, he frowned. "Cloud?" Stress showed in every trembling muscle in Cloud's body, and his heart rate and breathing had increased significantly.

"Red," Cloud whispered. "Red, please, I want to stop."

"Okay." Sephiroth sprang into action immediately, pushing the blindfold off Cloud's head, then grabbing the knife he kept in the drawer of the nightstand. He quickly freed Cloud's hands from the bedframe and pulled him upright. "Just hold still for me."

Cloud was still shaking, but he did his best to not move while Sephiroth slid the blade of the knife under the ropes that wrapped around his back and sliced through them. As soon as the fragments of the rope fell away, Cloud started scrabbling at the leather straps that bound his legs.

"I'll get it." Sephiroth kept his voice gentle, but firm, and he pulled Cloud's hands away before cutting through the straps. As soon as Cloud was free, Sephiroth sat back, giving him a bit of space.

"I'm sorry— I—" Cloud stared at the destroyed items, then at the knife that Sephiroth was still holding.

He tossed the knife back into the drawer to get it out of sight, then grabbed his blanket off the floor. "Come on," he said, wrapping the blanket around Cloud's shoulders and pulling him up off the bed. "Come out to the living room."

He grabbed his pants as he walked Cloud out of the bedroom, then got him sitting down on the couch. "Was it the blindfold that frightened you?" he asked once he had his pants on.

Cloud nodded. "Sorry, it's stupid, I know."

"It's not stupid, Cloud. Everyone's got their limits." Sephiroth shuffled slightly closer to Cloud and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "And you've got nothing to be sorry for. You did exactly what you were supposed to."

"But I made you ruin your stuff."

"So? I can get a new rope easily. It might even be within my budget."

Cloud gave him a small smile and leaned into him, resting his head on Sephiroth's shoulder. "I guess so. You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad." Sephiroth held Cloud close, running his fingers through his hair until Cloud's trembling finally died off. "Do you mind if we talk about what happened?" he asked quietly. "I'd like to be able to avoid a repeat."

"It was just the blindfold. It's a stupid thing, but ... I mean, I'll try again, if you want, but if you don't mind ... I'll close my eyes, and I promise I won't open them."

"That's a perfectly acceptable compromise, though this isn't something you have to compromise on. But can I ask what the difference is? You can't see either way."

"I know, but ... if I've got my eyes closed, I can open them if I want to. I don't because you told me to close them. I'm being obedient by not, but I _could_."

"All right, I think I understand," Sephiroth said. "But if you get scared, I want you to open your eyes, regardless of what I tell you. Understood?"

"Got it."

"Do you know why the blindfold upset you so much?"

"I—" Cloud pulled his feet up onto the couch and hugged his knees. "I was trying to think of that, and I don't know. I mean, I've never been blindfolded before, so it's not some past trau—oh."

"Oh?"

"It's nothing." Cloud blushed and waved his hands, as if trying to shoo whatever he had thought of away. "Stupid, really. Just something that happened a long time ago. It wouldn't have been why I got scared."

Sephiroth caught Cloud's hands and kissed his knuckles, once on each hand. "You know I'm not going to laugh at you, right?"

Cloud blushed an even deeper shade of red and pulled his hands away, tucking them into the blanket. "I'm not still upset about it, just so you know. So don't start thinking I'm all traumatized and fragile."

"You're not fragile, Cloud. Not by a long shot. So will you tell me?"

"Fine," Cloud sighed. "There was this girl in Nibelheim, she was everyone's favourite, and all the kids wanted to be her friend. Anyway, stuff happened, and she went off to Mount Nibel one day. She tried to cross this old rope bridge and it broke. I happened to be there, and I tried to catch her before she fell, but we both ended up falling into the gorge. She ended up really badly hurt. I didn't fall as far, so I was all right, but she was in a coma for a long time.

"So long story short, her friends decided that it was my fault that she got hurt. They jumped me on my way to school the day after I got out of the hospital. During the fight, my shirt got pulled up over my head so I couldn't see. It's ... it's really scary not being able to see where the next hit's coming from, you know?"

"I know. That's definitely a good reason to not want to be blindfolded."

"It's not that I thought you were going to hit me, or anything like that, I promise."

"That doesn't make it any less frightening," Sephiroth said gently. "What your mind knows and your body remembers can be two entirely separate things. Were you all right?"

"Sure," Cloud said nonchalantly, "I mean, it was no big deal. I'm pretty used to it."

"Is anyone bothering you here?" Sephiroth asked. He recognized the way he used to brush off what Hojo did to him as a fact of life in Cloud's words. 

"No." Cloud lifted his head up and smiled. "It's been really good here. I stay clear of everyone outside of training and work and they leave me alone."

"Good." Sephiroth hugged Cloud and pulled him in to lean on his shoulder again. "That's good." He had observed Cloud's unit several times; a few before their first date and a couple times since then. Staying clear of everyone was a bit of an understatement. Cloud's body language had screamed at anyone nearby that he didn't want anything to do with them. It was no small wonder that Zack was his only friend. It may have kept him from being targeted, but it certainly wouldn't help him in the long run. "Why don't you pick out a movie while I make some popcorn?"

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked. "I'm feeling better, we could—"

"No, you really don't look like you want to continue with plan A. We'll watch a movie, then why don't you sleep here tonight? I've got to be at work in the morning, but not until a bit later than usual."

"Really? I can stay tonight?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I've got a spare toothbrush, so pick out a movie." He swung by the bedroom and grabbed a pair of sweatpants that he tossed at Cloud on his way to the kitchen.

***

Cloud sat at the table blowing on his coffee to cool it while Sephiroth fried eggs for their breakfast. He still couldn't figure out why Sephiroth had invited him to stay the night after he had freaked out about a stupid blindfold. He had wondered if Sephiroth might have wanted to have sex in the morning instead, but so far Sephiroth hadn't shown any indication that he was planning to do anything other than go to work. Still, waking up with an arm slung over him like he belonged there had been nice.

"This is one of your fun Fridays, isn't it?" Sephiroth asked as he set a plate of eggs and tomatoes on toast in front of him.

"Yeah, I've just got three hours of guard duty, then lunch, followed by kicking ass." The bimonthly battles that the SOLDIER hopefuls waged between their units provided important skills training, but they were also a lot more fun than any regular training session and everyone knew it.

"And then you're going out drinking?"

"No, I don't go." The special training days also coincided with payday, and the majority of the troopers took the opportunity to either celebrate their victory or drown their sorrows at the bar. "If you want to do something tonight, I'm free."

"No, I want you to go out with your unit."

Cloud stared while his egg dripped off his toast onto the plate. "Why?" he finally said. "I mean, I can't, anyway; I'm never invited."

"Let's start with the second part." Sephiroth leaned back in his chair and put his foot on Cloud's knee. "How about you find a likely person and ask them if it would be all right if you went out with them tonight. I know it's rude to invite yourself, but sometimes you need to be rude to get results. Can you think of anyone you who wouldn't attempt to kill you for asking?"

Cloud laughed nervously. "Yeah, there are probably a few people who wouldn't _kill_ me."

"Okay, choose one of them, because I really don't want to be the cause of your death. As for why ... I want you to. Is that a good enough reason?"

He set his toast back down; eating and contemplating the possibility of actually inviting himself along with the guys at the same time was too much. Was this another one of Sephiroth's tests? It made no sense to him. He understood why Sephiroth had ordered for him at the restaurant, and why he wouldn't tell him what it was, but making him go out drinking? "Do you have a different reason?" he asked.

"Yes."

Cloud nodded, pondering that. "Not because you're mad at me for last night?"

"No, I'm not, and never was mad at you for last night. This isn't a punishment."

He mulled it over for a few minutes in silence. He could probably ask Hollister if he could go; he was a pretty nice guy as far as Cloud knew. At least he had never given Cloud any grief during their downtime. And his ribbing during training had always seemed good-natured. Did it really matter if he didn't know why Sephiroth wanted him to go? He was positive that Sephiroth wouldn't tell him to do anything that would get him hurt. "Okay," he said at last. "I'll ask."

"Good. Now, I'm sure that everything will be fine, but in the event that it's not, I want you to call me right away. Preferably before shit hits the fan so I have time to come get you. And if they won't let you go with them, call me and you can come here. But you don't get to come over if you don't make an effort."

"Fair enough." Cloud allowed himself a small smile. He'd do his best; he wasn't going to let Sephiroth down by not even trying. The thought that Sephiroth would come get him if something went wrong was a huge comfort.

"Finish your breakfast." Sephiroth got up and spent a few minutes in the other room before coming back and setting a small stack of bills on the table. "Get something to eat, buy a round for your unit, and drink the rest."

"I can't take your money!" Cloud protested.

"I'm not going to make you spend your own money on this." Sephiroth crouched down next to him and looked him in the eye. "Zack ... I'm not sure if this is appropriate, but Zack told me that you send most of your income home. I don't want you to spend money that's needed elsewhere."

Cloud felt his ears heat up and quickly looked away. "We're not that poor. Winter's tough because of the gas bill, but my pay's usually just a bonus."

"Then you can pay for your own drinks in the summer. Let your family crank up the heat for now. Besides, I never go out drinking, so I'm going to live vicariously through you, all right?"

He pursed his lips and glanced back at Sephiroth, who was smiling earnestly at him. "All right. Do you always win arguments?"

"Just with you."

***

Cloud's teeth chattered loudly as he quickly stripped off his soaked clothes and turned on the shower. Their instructors were positively evil for using the swamp course in the middle of winter.

"You don't get to pick the weather or the terrain in a war," someone said in a loud, mocking tone behind him. "Fuckin' bullshit, eh, Strife?"

"Y—yeah," Cloud stammered, glancing over at Andy Hollister who was stepping into the stall next to him. He was a distressing shade of blue. "I think they forget that we're not enhanced sometimes."

"I know, right?" he shouted over the noise of the showers. "You'd think that a Third Class could at least _try_ to remember that ice water isn't a fun thing to lie about in for an afternoon. And like hell they'd send regular troops to fight in a swamp when it's this cold. We're no good if we're all dead of hypothermia."

"At least we won," Cloud said.

"Yeah, that was a good idea you had to put the boards down to keep us mostly out of the water. I think Echo's going to be the infirmary all night. So we'll drink to our victory! And do shots until we can't remember the cold."

Cloud stood still for a moment, letting the hot water wash over him until he stopped shaking quite as much. If he thought about it, that was practically an invitation to go with them.

"Hey, Hollister," he said when they were both drying off.

"Yeah?"

"Do you—do you think it'd be all right if I went out with you guys tonight?"

"Holy shit, you actually want to come?"

Cloud quickly pulled on his clothes and grabbed his shoes out of his locker. "Forget it, I—"

"No, I mean, you can come, sure. I always figured you didn't want to; you book it out of here so fast all the time. But you've always been welcome."

"I can come?" Cloud froze, hardly able to believe Hollister's words. People _never_ wanted him to hang out with them.

"Strife's coming to the bar tonight!" Hollister shouted across the locker room. 

"Seriously?" MacInnis's head popped out of a shower stall. "What did you bribe him with?"

"Nothin'!"

"Bullshit! He never wants to come. What'd he bribe you with, Strife?

"No—nothing. I just—I thought—" Cloud glanced around the locker room filled with amazed faces. All of them were apparently shocked that he wanted to go.

"Aw shut up!" Hollister threw his wet towel at MacInnis. "Hurry up and get out of there or we're leaving without you."

***

Cloud found himself squashed into the middle of a large booth a few hours later, Hollister on his left, Martinsen on his right. He had done as Sephiroth said and offered to buy the first round of beers. That had set off a spree of generosity from the rest of the group, and after three shots and four beers, Cloud wasn't sure it would be in his best interests to spend the rest of the money Sephiroth had given him on his own drinks.

He was having a good time, however. Drunk enough to not worry about everything he said, he had managed to join in the conversation as they relived the afternoon's victory. It turned out that his unit not only noticed him, but they appreciated having him on the team. He hadn't thought he was very good at tactics, but according to MacInnis, he was some sort of genius. 

When he ordered a burger from the waitress who appeared to be well-used to dealing with crowds of drunk troopers, he glanced back at the menu, then asked for an order of wings as well.

"What flavours do you guys like?" he asked.

"You're getting wings?" Hollister asked as he grabbed the menu to look at the options. "Thanks!"

Cloud blushed a little. He hoped it wasn't coming across like he was trying to buy friends. He'd just never really had an opportunity to treat anyone. He'd have been able to afford a plate of one gil wings even without Sephiroth's help. Before he could attempt to come up with a reason for it, they had decided on half extra-hot and half salt and pepper.

He took another drink of his beer as the talk turned to girls. Maybe he didn't have to have an explanation for everything he did. When the wings arrived, there was a chorus of thanks before the plate was devoured. No one seemed to give it a second thought.

"So how come you never wanted to come out with us before?" Stavos asked from the end of the table as he sucked grease off his fingers.

"Uh ..." Cloud shrugged. "I'm not really good at ..."

"Just say you're shy," Martinsen said, whacking him on the shoulder. "But we're too awesome to resist for long."

"What he said." Cloud grinned and held up his pint. "Cheers, Martinsen."

"Cheers." Martinsen gave him a toothy grin back. He still hadn't gotten the tooth that had been knocked out in their first week replaced, and it gave him a rather lopsided smile. "We really are too awesome. And after today's win, everyone's going to have to agree with that."

Some time after his burger had arrived and he had downed two glasses of water, Cloud couldn't hold back a yawn. The bar was starting to clear out, and the table had grown less exuberant as the night wore on and their aches from the day began to settle in. He pulled out his PHS to check the time, and noticed a message from Sephiroth.

_I'm going to assume you're having a good time,_ he wrote. _If you want to come by my place instead of back to the barracks, you're more than welcome. You don't have to if you've got better plans. Let me know either way._

Cloud wrote a quick note back, saying yes please, and that he was indeed having a good time. When he snapped his PHS shut, he noticed Hollister looking at him.

"That the boyfriend?" he asked.

Cloud froze and nearly dropped the PHS. "What are you talking about?" he asked lamely.

"Oh come on, everyone knows you've got a boyfriend. I figure he must be a SOLDIER; if he were one of the grunts, you'd get in trouble every time you're out late."

Cloud felt his mouth moving to protest, but he couldn't think of anything to say and no sound came out.

Hollister gave his head a shake. "Relax, Strife. No one's going to make you tell us who he is. Figure a SOLDIER would probably get in trouble for dating a trooper. He _is_ a SOLDIER, though, isn't he?"

"You know I'm gay?" Cloud finally stammered.

Hollister shrugged while Martinsen whacked him on the shoulder again and said, "I assumed as much. So is he a SOLDIER?"

Helpless to do anything else, Cloud nodded.

"Knew it!" Hollister let out a whoop and pumped his fist in the air. 

The rest of the table appeared to have been listening to their conversation, and Cloud found himself being bombarded with questions. Who was he? What class? How did they meet? What was he like in the sack? Was it true what people said about mako affecting the size of a guy's dick? Cloud shrank lower and lower into his seat as the questions continued.

"Fuck off, all of you," Hollister finally snapped. "Unless we can ask about your girl's cooch, MacInnis."

MacInnis made a face like he wouldn't mind answering some questions about his girlfriend's intimate parts if it meant satisfying his curiosity, but then shrugged and sat back. "Should probably head back soon, anyway."

"Sorry about that," Hollister said as they were stumbling back towards the Shinra compound. "I wouldn't have brought it up if I'd thought you were trying to hide it."

Cloud shook his head. "I just ... I'm from a small town, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. You're cool, Strife. And no one here cares who you want to fuck." He grinned and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Well, maybe they care a little. Sure you don't want to share about mako and dick sizes?"

Cloud laughed and shoved Hollister away. "Yes, I'm sure. You're just going to have to find out for yourself when you make SOLDIER."

"Hell yeah! So I'm going to assume that you're not coming back with the rest of us lowly troopers."

"Nope." Cloud shook his head, unable to hold back his smile as he looked over at the SOLDIER residence. "I've got plans."

***

Sephiroth was waiting in his open doorway when Cloud got off the elevator. He was dressed only in a pair of sweats and had his hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked as he shut the door behind them.

"Yeah. I ... they were happy I came." Cloud still couldn't quite believe that.

"You're not a bad person, Cloud," Sephiroth said softly. "I knew that Zack and I couldn't be the only people who see that. So how drunk are you?"

Cloud laughed and followed Sephiroth into the kitchen. "Pretty drunk. I had some water, though."

"Good. Anything to eat?"

"Yep. Burger and some wings." He climbed up onto the counter to sit before taking the glass of water Sephiroth handed him and sipping at it. "You wanted me to make friends, didn't you? That's why you told me to go."

"You're exceptionally clever, even when drunk." Sephiroth jumped up onto the counter next to him and pulled his head down onto his shoulder.

"Don't make fun. Why should you care if I've got friends?"

"Do you really think so little of me? Shh..."

Sephiroth placed a hand on Cloud's head to keep it where it was when he tried to sit up to protest that that wasn't what he meant. He wasn't entirely sure what he didn't mean, but he certainly hadn't meant to say that he thought little of Sephiroth.

"I care because I want you to be happy. Is that so hard to imagine?"

"I _am_ happy," Cloud protested. "You make me really happy."

"But I'm not with you all the time. What you said yesterday, about avoiding everyone so they'll leave you alone, worried me. I understand that you had a rough time growing up, and I know that you've been doing all right here, but part of being a SOLDIER is being part of a team. It's good to have friends on your team."

"And you've got so many friends," Cloud scoffed, then immediately regretted it. "I shouldn't have said that."

"I'll chalk it up to too many drinks and the truth," Sephiroth said. "I know I don't have a lot of friends, and trust me, it gets harder to make them as time goes on. Drink some more water."

Cloud drained the rest of the glass and set it down. "I didn't mean—I meant to say thank you. For making me go. I didn't mean to question why. Oh, and I've got change for you." He fumbled for his wallet, but Sephiroth caught his hand.

"Save it for next time. Why don't you go brush your teeth?"

He nodded slowly and pushed himself off the counter. "Thanks."

Sephiroth was in bed when he got out of the bathroom, and he lifted up the covers for him and tucked them under his chin before pulling him close.

"I've got a mission in the afternoon," Sephiroth said, "but I'd like to try the Wutaian bondage again in the morning. Without the blindfold and assuming you're not too hungover. Sound good?"

Cloud grinned and wiggled a bit closer before planting a kiss on Sephiroth's chin. "Sounds good. I won't be hungover."


End file.
